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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The news was not what Garrett Whitlock or the Red Sox were hoping for.
After the Red Sox' 5-0 win over the Rays Monday night at Tropicana Field, Alex Cora announced that Whitlock had been diagnosed with having some sort of tear in the ligament in his pitching elbow.
Whitlock, who has already undergone Tommy John surgery in 2019 while in the Yankees organization, will travel to Birmingham, Ala. in order to be examined by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas. Dugas performed Whitlock's previous surgery five years ago.
Whitlock seemed to be on the verge of returning to the Red Sox' starting rotation after making just four starts before succumbing to an oblique injury. The righty appeared in good form during his rehab outing last Thursday in Worcester, hurling 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
The 27-year-old has been battling various injuries throughout his past two seasons after turning in a stellar rookie campaign in 2021. And this year it appeared Whitlock was finally ready to emerge as a legitimate piece of the Sox' starting rotation, totaling a 1.96 ERA in his 18 1/3 innings.
Last season, Whitlock also dealt with the accidental death of his brother, who drowned Labor Day weekend.
"We've been through this path before. I know it sounds harsh, but we have to turn the page," Cora said. "It sucks for the kid. He has been through a lot, but he has been through worse in the last 12 months. He is a kid who has faith. He's only looking up. He's a believer and we've been praying for him and trying to stay strong for him. He will stay strong."